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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. court — of law
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fall — the season
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rush — hurry
  17. can — to be able to
  18. dip — to sink
  19. can — a tin
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fall — to drop
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com